PC government releases television ads slamming federal carbon tax

Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government has released a series of television advertisements set to roll out on Monday slamming the federal carbon tax.

In the advertisement, a woman is seen trying to fill up her car with gas when a handful of nickels start to tumble out of the gas pump.

“The federal government is charging you a carbon tax,” a female narrator is heard saying. ‘You are paying a nickel more per litre.”

Viewers are then told that Ontario residents will pay a nickel more in heating and then the cost of food will “go up a nickel or two.”

The advertisement goes on to say that the cost of the federal carbon tax to the average Ontario family will be $648 a year by 2022. The narrator adds that “Ontario has a better way” and that “a carbon tax isn’t the only way to fight climate change.”

According to the 30-second advertisement, the government plans on tackling climate change by holding the biggest polluters accountable, reducing trash and keeping the lakes clean.

The television advertisement is the latest addition to provincial government’s anti-carbon tax campaign. Ontario has previously launched radio advertisements and has ordered gas stations to place stickers on their pumps warning that the federal carbon tax is adding 4.4 cents per litre to the price of gas.

The 25,000 stickers are expected to cost the government about $5,000.

The cost of the television advertisements is being covered by a $30-million dollar figure that has been set aside by the Progressive Conservatives to challenge the carbon tax. While the exact costs of the ads have not been released, CTV News Toronto has been told by a source within the Premier’s Office that the total anti-carbon tax campaign is expected to cost in the “seven figures.”

Rod Phillips, Ontario’s Minister of Environment, told reporters at Queen’s Park that the government was simply using tools at their disposal to inform the public.

“We are going to keep using all the tools we have to help people understand that you don’t need a carbon tax to fight climate change and, frankly, the federal government is treating Ontarians unfairly by expecting them to do more than other people in this country,” Phillips said.

Phillips also said that the federal government is spending millions of dollars to promote their idea and they are just trying to do the same with their plan.

But Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said that the ads are one-sided and do not mention the rebates promised by the federal government that would see an average family of four receive $307 a year.

“I think they do a disservice to Ontarians because they only talk about half of the picture in terms of not identifying the rebates that are coming,” Horwath said.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner called the advertisement campaign a “complete waste of money.”

“I can’t believe the premier is wasting your hard-earned tax dollars sabotaging climate solutions. It’s clear that this government had a mandate to move away from the previous government’s climate plan, they do not have a mandate to waste your tax dollars sabotaging solutions,” he said.

We’re fighting the carbon tax because it hurts seniors, workers, families and small businesses.